Who Belongs Here?

Though many of us have spent years together now, I suppose we all still occasionally wonder: do I really belong?

What if I didn’t get swept up in the Ron Paul waves of 2008 or ’12?

What if I believe in the Bible?

What if I believe in gradual change within existing systems?

What if I don’t really like guns? Or cannabis?

What if I’m single? Or a senior? Or otherwise don’t fit the typical Freecoast demographic?

I thought about this a long time… what are the fundamental criteria to say who belongs here?

Here’s what I came up with:

a good heart

and

an open mind

Anyone with these two characteristics is going to come to understand the principles and practices that define our fellowship. It may take time; we may respectfully disagree; and we may totally not understand each other’s aesthetics or personal choices – but if anyone has these two fundamentals, I think they belong here as much as the next person.